Glass textile fabric

ABSTRACT

Provided is a woven, glass textile fabric comprised of glass sliver in the weft or cross direction and air texturized glass yarn in the machine direction having a titer of from 60 to 80 tex. The resulting fabric is aesthetically pleasing in appearance, strong, yet lightweight. The fabric finds excellent applicability as a wall covering.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a new glass textile fabric whichis aesthetically pleasing, exhibits high strength, yet is extremelylightweight. The fabric is a woven glass textile fabric which findsparticular applicability as a fabric for walls.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Looms have been used for many decades in order to produce glassfabrics. This is also true for the production of fabrics woven withglass fiber yarns. Glass fabrics woven with a pattern are also known.For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,151, issued to Andre Moll ofVitrulan Textilglas GmbH.

[0005] In the Moll patent, a method is described for producing apatterned glass fabric, especially suitable for wallpaper or similarmaterials having a fabric woven with glass fiber yarns. The glass fiberyarn has a titer between 130 tex and 150 tex, and preferably between 139and 142 tex, which is used for the warp. A glass fiber yarn with a titerbetween 190 tex and 400 tex, and preferably of 215 tex, is used as thefilling in the fabric. The yarn is generally processed on a patterncontrolled Jacquard loom.

[0006] One of the difficulties with a glass fabric which is woven, andparticularly glass fabrics intended for use as wallpaper fabrics, is theimportance of aesthetics, as well as strength, while being lightweight.Certainly patterned fabrics can add to the aesthetics of a wall fabric,but problems have arisen in intending to achieve high strength, as thefabric has generally been a bit heavier, and does not provide the softtouch or voluminous look desired of the fabric.

[0007] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provideone with a new and improved glass textile fabric which is aestheticallypleasing, has good strength, but is also lightweight in nature toprovide the soft touch and look desired.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wallfabric exhibiting good strength, but which is also lightweight andaesthetically pleasing in nature.

[0009] These and other objects of the present invention will becomeapparent to the skilled artisan upon a review of the followingdisclosure and the drawings attached hereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention provides a glass textile fabric which isaesthetically pleasing, exhibits high strength, yet is lightweight,thereby providing a soft touch and feel. The textile is a woven glassand finds distinct applicability as a wall fabric.

[0011] The fabric is woven with a 60 to 80 tex yarn in the machinedirection or warp, and a sliver is used as the weft or cross direction.For among other factors, it has been found that when the sliver in thecross direction is employed together with the fine, but strong, airtexturized 70 tex yarn, a strong, yet lightweight product havingexcellent aesthetics is achieved. The product is much lighter andprovides the soft look, voluminous touch and feel desired for wallfabrics. The economics of the fabric are also advantageous.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of thepresent invention will become more apparent in light of the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which likereference numerals identify similar or identical elements, and in which:

[0013]FIG. 1 depicts a conventional process and set up for preparingsliver;

[0014]FIG. 2 depicts a process for applying a standard chemicaltreatment, in a preferred method of a continuous process by a rotatingscreen;

[0015]FIG. 3 shows a process for applying chemical dispersions, in apreferred method of a continuous process by a rotating screen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Sliver, which is a staple fiber strand, is used in the weft ofthe fabric of the present invention. The manufacture of sliver is wellknown, and is described, for example, in Fiber Glass, by J. Gilbert Mohrand William P. Rowe, 1978, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The sliver can be, andis preferably manufactured from C-glass or E-glass pellets. Suchchemical glass or electronic glass compositions are well known.Conventional production units for sliver are also known to the industry.Such production units have been developed, for example, by SchullerGmbH. FIG. 1 illustrates one such unit.

[0017] In FIG. 1, a hopper, located on top of the sliver unit, containsthe glass pellets. A pellet feeder draws the required pellet volume,time and weight controlled, and distributes it evenly into a glass fiberbushing. The bushing is comprised of an electrically heated trough madeof precious metal. It is embedded in a set of heat resistant bricks andassembled on a frame. On the bottom of the trough, the bushing hasnumerous nozzle-like outlets called “tips” from which glass fibers aredrawn. The bushing is temperature response power controlled.

[0018] In the bushing the solid glass pellets are transformed intoliquid glass. This glass penetrating through the outlets forms glassbeads which in turn generate liquid glass fiber filaments. The fibersare vaporized with fiber forming promoter fluid and are wound onto aspinning drum. The glass drops are accelerated, broken from thefilaments and disposed to the basement for recycling. Finally, thespinning drum attenuates the fibers to the desired diameter. The fibersadhere to the drum surface for less than one drum rotation and are thenremoved with a scraper blade. Good adhesion action firmly keeps thefibers on the drum surface. They are then released at the scraper bladeedge.

[0019] The fibers are whirl-vortexed in a funnel, twisted (closed),removed and continuously wound on bobbins. Should fibers break, thefiber drawing process automatically restarts. Glass drops and heavyfibers are separated from the standard glass fibers and collected forrecycling.

[0020] It is preferred that the dwelling time in the funnel issignificantly abbreviated, for it has been discovered that especiallyevenness and uniform appearance are improved, thickness variationreduced and tensile increased by approximately 20% when the dwellingtime in the funnel is significantly abbreviated. It is important to keepthe drum speed—draw-off speed ratio as small a possible.

[0021] The glass yarn used in the machine direction, or warp of thetextile fabric of the present invention, is a 60 to 80 tex, airtexturized yarn, more preferably a yarn with a titer between 65 and 75tex, and most preferably about a 70 tex. The yarn can be air texturizedby using any conventional process for glass fibers. Suitable machinesare available, such as the air texturizing machine from Dietze andSchell Corporation, Greenville, S.C. Air texturizing machine DS60 andDS60D are examples of suitable machines useful in texturizing glassyarns using various jet streams of air to accomplish the texturizing.The machine can be supplied with glass yarn in various feedstock formssuch as from flexible bobbins, spin cables and direct rovings.

[0022] This glass yarn used as the warp is a very fine yarn which hasbeen air-texturized. The fineness of the glass yarn, and its texturizedstate, combined with the use of the sliver in the cross direction, helpsto give the final product its lightweight and voluminous look, feel andtouch. The final textile, despite the lightweight characteristics, alsoexhibits good strength characteristics.

[0023] The sliver and air-texturized yarn are combined into the finaltextile product using any conventional loom, e.g., a Dobby loom,Jacquard loom, a weaving machine such as a Dornier weaving machine.Woven-in patterns are possible, if desired.

[0024] Once the textile product has been woven, it can be treated inconventional fashion to provide the final characteristics of theproduct. Chemical treatments of glass fabrics are known tofinalize/adjust such characteristics as strength, volume, stability andopacity of the final textile product.

[0025]FIG. 2 depicts a process for applying a normal chemical treatmentto a glass fabric, preferably, the glass fabric is a woven product fromfiber glass yarn. The weave is typically a simple pattern, of up toeight shafts. The weave is produced, for example, on Dornier weavingmachines, Reapiers or Air-Jets, in typically two or three meter widthsfor collecting on roll beams of typically 1,500-6,000 meters ofuntreated woven fiberglass fabric. Preferred yarns in accordance withthe present invention include, for the warp direction, continuousC-glass or E-glass of 60 to 80 tex, more preferably about 70 tex, whichhas been air-texturized. For the weft or cross direction, the sliver asdescribed above is used.

[0026] In the process of the present invention, the glass fabric 1,preferred in roll form, is fed to an impregnation bath, typicallythrough rollers 3 and conventional conveyance means, to contact a bathof, for example, a soft touch chemical mixture, or alternatively, forexample, a pick up roll may convey the same mixture to at least one ofthe glass fabric surfaces. A preferred coating mixture consists of thosecomponents set out in Table 1 below.

[0027] Alternatively, to the rollers 3, double side rotary screens maybe used to apply the chemicals to the glass fabric 1. The chemicalmixture is supplied to the interior of the two rotating screens andapplied to the glass fabric by contact with the rotating screens. TABLE1 Starch Binder 10-70% of dry substance Latex Binder 20-80% of drysubstance Inorganic Cross-Linker  0-10% of dry substance Pigments 10-30%of dry substance

[0028] All commercial available starch binders can be used. Starchbinder derived from potatoes or corn is preferred. The soft latexbinders are preferably based on vinyl acetate. However, other types oflatex binders can also be used. Inorganic cross-linkers are materialswhich may improve the effect of that mixture by stabilizing the chemicalmixture upon application. Ammonium zirconium carbonate is preferred, butalso other chemistries can be used.

[0029] The mixture is preferably water based, and has a dry substancepercentage of between 5 and 20 weight percent, preferably between 10 and20 weight percent in the chemical bath. Besides white pigments, coloredpigments can also be added or used to create colored fabrics as well.

[0030] Following the impregnation, the fabric may be conveyed to adrying means 4, which in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2 is depictedas steam heated cylinders 5. After drying, the fabric is collected ontoroll 6 and is usually cut into desired width. This first impregnationstep adds additional volume, stability and opacity to the fabric.

[0031] In FIG. 3, a dispersion 14 can also be added to improve tearstrength of the fabric 12. Typically, 10-60 g of the dispersion persquare meter is sufficient to obtain an optimum adhesion strengthcombined with moderate tear forces. The wanted tear force can beadjusted by the amount of the applied dispersion. It also depends on thetype and structure of the used fabrics. The optimum adhesion strength isnecessary to obtain the same wear resistance and the same fireresistance as standard glass fiber wall covering.

[0032] Following the application of the dispersions 14 to the fabricsurface at 11, the fabric may be conveyed to a drying means 16, which inthe preferred embodiment of FIG. 3, is depicted as air dryers.Alternatively, heated cylinders can be used without any drawbacks. Thefabric is then collected on roll 18.

[0033] Having described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited to those preciseembodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effectedtherein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope orspirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A glass textile fabric comprised of a glasssliver in the weft and a 60 to 80 tex, air texturized glass yarn in themachine direction.
 2. The glass textile fabric of claim 1, wherein thetiter of the air-texturized yarn is from 65 to 75 tex.
 3. The glasstextile fabric of claim 1, wherein the titer of the air textured yarn isabout 70 tex.
 4. The glass textile fabric of claim 1, wherein the glasssliver is comprised of C-glass.
 5. The glass textile fabric of claim 1,when the glass sliver is comprised of E-glass.